Final numbers are in from last month's Bowl For Kids' Sake fundraiser, in support of Big brothers/Big Sisters of Portage la Prairie.

Executive Director Dawn Froese says $13,925 came in. While that's less than the $15,000 they'd hoped for, she's not dismayed, adding it won't impact their programming.

"The impact will be that we will try and find a different way to earn a bit more of that money," she says, "So that's more fundraising for us, which takes away our time from getting volunteers, and that kind of thing. But it's worth it, because, at the end of the day, it's all about kids getting mentored."

Froese stresses the money raised will be put toward mentoring kids.

"What we want to do with the kids in our program is give them the confidence to achieve," she says, "And achieve wherever they're at. So for some, it's just maybe achieving more social skills. For others, it's exploring what they can do in post-secondary school, or that encouragement to keep in school. Mentoring does that, and so much more."

Some of this year's participants (photo by Rae Hathaway)